Before I Fade
by ninaxwings
Summary: Sarah is summoned back to the Labyrinth ten years after facing Jareth. The Goblin King is fading fast and his only wish is to see Sarah one last time. Escorted by a unicorn named Trickster, Sarah races to the heart of the Labyrinth to be with Jareth in his final moments.


Sarah Williams was fifteen years old when she first walked the Labyrinth and faced the Goblin King. Those thirteen hours were so far in the past Sarah looks back on that time and often wonders if it was a dream. Sarah went on to graduate high school and pursue an education in dance. Now twenty-five years old Sarah had moved herself to New York a few years prior to attend Juilliard. She spends her days surrounded by mirrors and starving girls in the ballet program. The ballet training was grueling and painful but it was a cakewalk compared to Jareth's Labyrinth. Thankfully, Toby had no memory of his time among the Goblins and was experiencing a perfectly normal American upbringing at home. After a long day of rehearsal for an upcoming performance Sarah trudges through the snow on campus, exhausted and ready to crash in her dorm. She swipes her student I.D. to open the door to the dancer's dorms and steps into the drafty lobby. The elevators were crowded with tired dancers so Sarah takes the stairs up to her floor. Being one of the senior dancers in her class, Sarah was able to snag a private room for the semester. Sarah takes off her rain boots by the door and unbuttons her coat, dropping it on the floor. Still wearing her black leggings and long-sleeved crop top from class, Sarah goes straight to her bed and collapses face-down. She needed a shower but it was freezing outside and her room was warmer than the lobby. Sarah didn't feel compelled to move at all. She glances up at her bookshelf and her eyes trail along scanning the classic fairytales mixed in with her dance books. For some reason her gaze lingers on the cracked spine of The Labyrinth. A warm breeze rolls through the dorm room suddenly and it sure as hell didn't come from the building's boiler room. The heat had been on the fritz for weeks. Sarah tries to shake off the sinking feeling in her stomach and climbs under the blankets. The moment she closes her eyes the normal life she'd built for herself shatters.

"Sarah," she knew that voice "Sarah wake up!"

"Hoggle?" Sarah sits up in bed and looks around the dim room. Her imaginary friend was perusing her bookcase, arms clasped behind his back.

"About time I thought you'd never wake up," Hoggle turns and Sarah sees his face "He needs to see you Sarah."

Hoggle hadn't aged a day since their voyage to the Goblin City. Sarah drops her jaw in disbelief and pulls the covers back over her head.

"This is a dream," Sarah tells herself "I dreamed all of it this is just a case of ballerina blues."

"Is that any way to greet an old friend," Hoggle sits at the foot of her bed "Sarah you have to get up time is short!"

"Ok Hoggle since I'm clearly dreaming I'll humor you after you tell me what's brought you here." Sarah sits up and crosses her arms, still stubborn as she'd been at age fifteen. Hoggle lets out a sigh and looks down at his feet.

"It's Jareth," Hoggle tells her "He's fallen ill and he's asking for you."

"Me," Sarah looks at her digital clock and realizes it had frozen "Why would he want to see me?"

"Who knows," Hoggle shrugs "The elders say you get soft the closer your time comes."

Sarah checks her phone and confirms this was not a dream, every application on her phone was frozen in time.

"Are you telling me the Goblin King is dying?" Sarah throws off the blankets and gets to her feet.

"Smart girl you are," Hoggle holds up a pair of silky black ballet slippers "He wanted you to have these whether you come to him or not."

Sarah takes the slippers in her hands and examines the beautiful silver embroidery. At first she had thought she'd seen owls in flight stitched into the slippers but now there was a unicorn galloping against the black silk. Sarah blinks and the image of the unicorn hops from one slipper to the other.

"I can't walk the Labyrinth in these." Sarah gasps.

"Don't worry," Hoggle hops down from the bed "You won't be walking this time."

Sarah laces up the magical slippers, winding them around her ankles over the black leggings. Sarah goes to her closet for a jacket but when she opens the door her clothes are gone. Sarah looks behind her and confirms her suspicions. She was no longer in New York, the vast expanse of the Labyrinth looms before her. Hoggle had vanished along with her dorm room and Sarah was on her own.

"At least it's not snowing." Sarah says to herself as she descends a sandy dune. Being back in Jareth's realm brought on a sense of foreboding and excitement. The last time Sarah had seen the Goblin King he took the form of an owl and flew away in grief. Sarah approaches the gates and notes there are far more faeries than the last time she was here. She sees water sprites playing in crystal clear ponds that had been dark and murky when Sarah met Hoggle outside those gates for the first time.

"Excuse me," Sarah carefully approaches a sprite sunning on a rock "I was summoned by your king."

The sprite plunges back into the pond, peeking up at Sarah from the water's surface.

"It's her," the sprite tells it's companions "The one that got away!""I see my reputation precedes me," Sarahcrouches by the pond "Can you tell me how to open the gates?"

"Behind you!" another sprite pops up to get a closer look at Sarah. Sarah hears the nickering of a horse and feels a warm breath on the back of her neck. She whirls and comes face-to-face with a mighty unicorn stallion. He was tall and proud with a dappled coat and a pearly horn long as the ones Sarah had seen in her books on medieval unicorn lore. He holds his tail high like a banner and prances from hoof to hoof like he had somewhere important to be.

"Well aren't you a glorious creature," Sarah strokes his neck "There were never any unicorns here before."

"What are you waiting for," a faery lands on Sarah's shoulder "He'll take you where you want to go."

The unicorn rears up and whinnies, his hooves glimmer in the sunlight before crashing back down and pawing at the earth.

"He says he hasn't got all day." a female wood nymph drops from a tree and approaches Sarah. The nymph was a stunning green-skinned lithe creature with the build of a teenager. "You can talk to him?" Sarah watches in awe as the unicorn sinks to his knees and jerks his head at her.

"The question is why can't you?" the nymph circles Sarah, sizing her up.

 _Ignore the faye they are frivolous, jealous creatures_ comes a voice in Sarah's head.

"I can hear him now." Sarah says in disbelief.

"Best hurry then," the nymph snaps "The King doesn't send his personal mount for just anyone."

"You belong to Jareth?" Sarah asks the unicorn as she mounts his back. The proud beast stands and shakes out his long, white mane. He begins to trot with no warning and Sarah scrambles to twine her fingers in his mane.

"Belong to Jareth," the unicorn snorts "Jareth belongs to me we were paired before his birth."

 _"_ Ok you're talking out loud now," Sarah settles into a sitting trot "That's going to take some getting used to."

"I've always communed this way it's not my fault you weren't listening!" the unicorn begins to slow his pace. Sarah can't help but laugh and pat the unicorn's neck.

"What do I call you?" Sarah asks her traveling companion. The unicorn rolls his eyes and snorts again at this rude human.

"I am mount to the first Dark Faye," the unicorn tosses his mane "I have many names some call me the Goblin Chaser, to others I am the White Herd's King!"

"What does Jareth call you?" Sarah tries not to laugh at the unicorn's ego, he reminded her of Jareth in nearly every way. He was a fierce and beautiful mystical being just like his rider. The unicorn lowers his head and lets out a sad sigh.

"Trickster," he finally gives his name "Sometimes Buddy or Friend."

"Jareth must love you very much," Sarah could hear the grief in Trickster's voice "How did we not meet before?"

"Must you jabber so," Trickster snaps "Be silent or the Labyrinth won't hear me!"

Trickster approaches a secondary gate that Sarah had never seen before. It was built from stone with runes and drawings of faye and other mythical creatures carved into it. Trickster rears up and lets out a heartbreaking cry that pierces Sarah's soul. It was the saddest and sweetest song she had ever heard in her life. The unicorn calls out again and tears begin to roll down Sarah's cheeks. She doesn't realize she's crying until a tear lands on her hand and she hurries to wipe her face. The ground begins to shake and the gate slowly opens. Trickster presses on with Sarah on his back and they find themselves in that endless corridor. The unicorn cocks his head like he's listening to something Sarah can't hear. At last Sarah hears something clinking and one of Jareth's crystal balls comes bouncing down the corridor, rolling to a stop at Trickster's hooves. He looks down into the ball and nudges it with his muzzle.

"She came." Trickster speaks the two words and the ground begins to shake violently. The walls of the Labyrinth rotate and form a straight path to Jareth's castle. The crystal ball starts rolling down the path and Trickster gallops after it.

"That's one hell of a short cut!" Sarah exclaims as she rises up over Trickster's neck, falling into the rhythm of the gallop with him.

"Not for long!" Trickster bobs as weaves as walls right themselves and block the shortcut behind them as fast as Trickster can gallop. He chases the crystal ball like the devil was gaining on them. Sarah couldn't believe she had spent the morning working on her triple pirouette. Now she was on the back of a unicorn that moved with god-like grace and speed. After galloping full throttle for the entire length of that quickly closing corridor, Trickster comes screeching to a halt at the castle gates. The crystal ball knocks on the gates and they swing open. Sarah tries to dismount but Trickster keeps moving. He finally slows down once they reach the throne room. Something was off here, Sarah hadn't seen a single goblin other than Hoggle back in New York.

"Hello Sarah," she would know his voice anywhere "My how you've grown."

Sarah looks up and sees Jareth perched by a window. He had most certainly watched her entire journey in his realm, hell he'd probably been watching over her for years. Sometimes she dreamed about him but wrote it off as fantasy. Now standing here in his throne room there was no more denying their fates were entwined. The Goblin King hadn't aged a day but his skin was luminescent, he seemed to glow in the shadows of the throne room. Sarah dismounts and looks up at the Goblin King, his siren songs had haunted her dreams for years.

"You asked for me," Sarah crosses her arms "Here I am."

"How is little Toby?" Jareth jumps down from the window and lands before Sarah. He had changed his clothes to imitate those of a modern man, a simple studded leather jacket and black pants with chains and knee-high boots. His hair had grown long past his shoulders and he needed a shave.

"Still not a Goblin," Sarah says sarcastically "I know you didn't summon me to ask about Toby's wellbeing."

"Show some respect!" Trickster stomps his hooves and comes to stand by Jareth's side.

"Don't mind Trickster," Jareth hugs his loyal companion "He's like a brother to me."

"Jareth what is happening here," Sarah gestures to the empty throne room "What happened to the Goblins?"

Suddenly, Jareth's skin glows brighter for a split second then it fades. His skin was still shimmering but not as brightly as when Sarah first saw him. The Goblin King leans on Trickster for support and the unicorn helps him get to his throne. Jareth hunches over in pain, clearly growing weaker with each passing moment. Trickster curls up by his feet like a puppy and lays his head in Jareth's lap.

"How about a bit of history," Jareth strokes Trickster's muzzle "I took the name Jareth when I inherited this realm but I was born Puck."

"Puck," it all falls into place for Sarah now "Son of Oberon and Titania King and Queen of the Faye?"

"Very good," Jareth smiles and leans back "I watched you for years after you defeated me I watched you grow I watched you date I wondered what I could do to please you."

"What have you done to yourself?" all these years Sarah had no clue Jareth was pining over her.

"Selfish girl can't you see," Trickster springs to his hooves "He did all of this for you!"

The unicorn stomps around the throne room switching his tail in anger and grief.

"I set them free," Jareth says like it's some trivial thing "Turned them back into babes and asked my estranged family to place them among the humans in exchange for welcoming the Faye back into this realm."

"Changelings." Sarah breathes out the word.

"Tell her," Trickster rears up "Tell her or I will!"

"Changing them back took everything I had," Jareth finally admits "I am fading Sarah surely a clever girl like you can see that."

"No," Sarah kneels by Jareth and takes one of his hands "You summoned me here to help you tell me how to save your life!"

Jareth holds Sarah's hand against his face and breathes her in. He'd longed for her to see him this way since she called upon him that fateful night.

"I asked you here to beg your forgiveness," Jareth kisses Sarah's hand "Before I fade I must know can you forgive me for what I've done?"

"Of course I forgive you," Sarah lets the tears flow openly "You can't die now isn't there something your family can do?"

"I committed many crimes of magic my sweet Sarah," Jareth lets go of her hand "My life is the price of balance being restored no one can save me I'm not meant to be saved."

"Then what the hell Jareth," Sarah turns away from him "Did you bring me here just to break my heart?"

"I've seen you dance," Jareth rests his chin on a fist "You were born to wear those slippers."

Sarah looks down at the enchanted ballet slippers and sees her dorm in the stitching this time.

"Oh my god," Sarah's mind reels "Dorothy and her ruby slippers..."

"They were my mother's," Jareth says smugly "They'll bring you here whenever you wish."

"And why would I want to return once you fade?" Sarah stares the Goblin King down with that child-like defiance he knew so well.

"For him," Jareth points to Trickster "For all of those in my court."

Another shockwave of light much brighter than the others blinds Sarah for a moment and when her sight returns Jareth is on his hands and knees. Trickster lets out a mournful cry and curls up around his rider. Jareth lays back against the huge unicorn and pulls off a glove, looking at his hand.

"Not long now," Jareth is caught off-guard by Sarah falling into his arms "Please don't cry Sarah you are all I ever wanted."

"This is what I wanted," Sarah sobs "I wanted to love you but you wouldn't let me!"

"I'm sorry I'm so sorry," Jareth consoles her in his final moments "Promise me you'll pop in from time to time and look after this realm."

"I promise." Sarah cries into his chest, afraid he'd fade if she so much as blinked.

"Take Trickster riding outside the gates he loves that," Jareth strokes Sarah's hair "I beg you be happy and have a beautiful life."

"Please don't go," Sarah repeats the words over and over "I'm not ready to say goodbye!"

The last of Jareth's power gives off a blinding flash and Trickster lets out a cry of pure agony. Faye royalty and their mounts are meant to be bonded for life. Jareth dying without Trickster was unnatural for the mighty beast and it felt like his heart was being torn in two . When the light fades Jareth drops completely drained of magic with seconds to live. Sarah holds him as the Goblin King struggles to breathe.

"I love you Sarah," Jareth was fading from existence "I always have and always will."

"I love you too," Sarah clings to Jareth but it was like trying to hold water in your hands "Please don't leave not like this!"

With the last spark of magic left in his body, Jareth conjures one last crystal ball and gives it to Sarah before he dies. His body flickers in and out of existence before vanishing completely. Sarah lets the crystal ball roll away and cries out for Jareth over and over even though he was gone. Trickster looks into the crystal ball and lets out a nicker of joy, he rolls the ball over to Sarah with his horn and nudges her.

"Sarah," Trickster tries to make her see "Pick it up you silly girl!"

Sarah looks up at the unicorn and picks up Jareth's final gift. The moment she touches it Sarah can hear Jareth's voice. In his dying moment, he was able to seal himself inside the crystal. Now he would be with Sarah always. Even with his body gone, Jareth's consciousness would live for eternity and be there for Sarah even if she just needed to talk. Sarah mounts Trickster and holds the crystal up so Jareth can see his kingdom as she gallops through the Labyrinth. Sarah dismounts and hugs Trickster, promising to return and visit soon. Sarah clicks her heels and the ballet slippers take her back to her dorm. She puts the crystal on her desk and sits in front of it.

"Thank you," Sarah wipes a tear from her cheek "I'm so happy you decided to stay."

 **Author's note: I've been wanting to write this one for a while in honor of David Bowie. RIP David Bowie you may be gone from this plane but you will never be forgotten. Please R &R did you like the tie in to the fairy lore or was it lame? Thanks for reading hope you liked it. **


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